The location of it remains important as it is still officially used as a measure of distances from the centre of Melbourne.

History

The first General Post Office was declared in 13 April 1837, shortly after the naming of Melbourne.

The foundation stone was laid on its present site in 1859 and built to the design of A.E.Johnson in the Renaissance Revival style. The building was later extended in 1887 with a larger clock tower, extra storeys and applied with a Second Empire styled mansard roofline. Plans for the building were never completed.